Not if you buy a McLaren, the chassis is carbon fibre and the convertibles (Spiders) have the same chassis stiffness as the coupes so no scuttle shake. Also the roof panels are carbon fibre and do not generate the same wind noise as an old-fashioned hood.
I drove one ( the 570s) back to back with a 458 Spider and was very impressed by the progress that McLaren had made in the 5 or so years they have been making road cars. The cockpit was a minimalist masterpiece. So was the ride quality thanks to the rigidity of the body.
The roads were too smooth for any scuttle shake. However carbon fibre is just another material and there are only two ways that you can make an open car as rigid as a closed one. First is to strengthen the chassis ie slightly different structure for the open and closed versions. The second is to make the roof of the closed car non structural so that it doesnt add rigidity. McLaren have chosen the second option as I understand it - most car makers chose the first option. That said, the ability of a moulding / bonding process to make shapes that arent available to a press formed structure gives extra rigidity.
As for road noise I did say "open".
I really fancy a McLaren but my budget will only stretch to an older MP4C, and even the local dealer, who also does Lambo, was less than enthusiastic about reliability and parts cost.
With respect Howard you are comparing apples and oranges. The 570S is a current McLaren model and very competent, but it was never meant to compete with a 458 or a 488 come to that.
Mclaren have three levels of car - the Sports Series - aimed at Porsche Turbos and the ilk and it is regarded as a usable daily driver. The Super Series - currently the 720S (but in the past the 650S and before that the MP4/12) and the Ultimate Series - the P1 and now the Senna with other cars in the pipeline.
A relevant comparison with the 458 would be a 650S and in my biased opinion there is no comparison and I have owned the latter and driven the former. Currently the 720S is generally regarded by most motoring rotters to have moved the supercar game on radically and Ferrari have had to respond with the Pista to try and close the technology gap.
It is not just the chassis which is ahead - the 720S has a completely new chassis which extends into the roof, but the active suspension and the active aerodynamics are also ahead of the competition too.
Ferrari may currently have the edge on everyone in F1, but their road cars do not completely reflect the technology and they are relying on the power of the brand to maintain their position with their largest selling road car.
